Bocce team bowls over rivals

WINNING TEAM: The Wanganui Special Olympics bocce team (including Grant McCullough who works as a Teacher Aide in the Te Atawhai Special Unit at WHS) and supporters celebrate the team's success at the National Summer Games.

A Whanganui team has taken out the top spot in bocce at the Special Olympics New Zealand National Summer Games 2017.

The Summer Games is New Zealand's largest event for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

The team of eight from the Wanganui Special Olympics Club has been preparing for the event for 18 months under coach Paul Gibson. The athletes are Cathy Boyle, Judith Bradley, Brigitte Brightwell, Linda Fredricksen, Grant McCullough, Darryl Smith, Thomas McLeod and Paul Raumaewa.

During the week at the games, the players bowled in teams and pairs against other clubs from around the country. All team members took home medals, with the women's team winning their division and the men runners-up in their division.

"I'm extremely proud of the way the team has supported each other both on and off the court," Mr Gibson said.

Team member Cathy Boyle, a Global Messenger (ambassador) for Special Olympics New Zealand, was incredibly proud of herself and the team, and felt "bubbled" to have received the awards.

More than 1250 athletes with intellectual disabilities from 42 Special Olympics clubs and three schools competed in the Summer Games.

By Staff Reporter
Wanganui Chronicle 9/12/17